Faculty and Staff
Walter J. Cole, of Portola Valley, June 17, at 94. He was a clinical professor for many years, teaching at Stanford and UCSF, and held the title of associate professor emeritus at Stanford Medical School. Raised in Ottawa, he volunteered at 16 with the St. John Ambulance Corps and attended Queen's U., graduating with an MD in 1943. He did a fellowship at Johns Hopkins and started his medical practice in Toronto. Moving to California in 1948, he established a private practice in dermatology in Palo Alto. He later co-founded the Altos Oaks Medical Group and maintained a longtime practice at the Stanford Medical Plaza, where he remained until retiring in 1991. Among his medical achievements, he co-chaired the Pigmented Lesion and Cutaneous Melanoma Clinic at Stanford Hospital and established a blood bank program for the members of the Mounted Patrol. He served for many years on the board of the Peninsula Memorial Blood Bank and as the physician for the Stanford Fire Department. He loved trail riding, herding cattle, fishing and hunting. He was a life member of the Mounted Patrol of San Mateo County, which honored him with the 2010 Horseperson/Citizen of the Year award. He was predeceased by his wife of 50 years, Peg, and his brother. Survivors: his sons, John and Timothy; three grandsons; two great-grandchildren; and one sister.
Suzanne Richardson Harvey, of Alamo, Calif., July 17. She received her BA from Mount Mercy College, now Carlow U.; an MA from Northeastern U.; and a PhD from Tufts U., where she specialized in Elizabethan poetry. After teaching in the Boston area, she moved to the San Francisco Bay Area, where she lectured in the English department at Stanford from 1978 until her retirement in 1997. For nearly 10 of those years, she was a resident fellow in Larkin House. She and her husband co-wrote a book about the experience, Virtual Reality and the College Freshman: All Our Friends Are 18. She was a visiting lecturer at UC-Berkeley and taught editorial workshops as part of the curriculum for Cal's publishing program. After retiring, she continued to lecture for Emeritus College and for Diablo Valley College near her home in Alamo. She was a member of the Academy of American Poets and the National Council of Teachers of English, and her collected poetry appears in A Tiara for the Twentieth Century. Survivors: her husband, Robert; sons Dennis, Brian and James; and five grandsons.
1930s
Florence Anna Paulsen Minard, '30, of Menlo Park, July 5, at 102, of heart failure. She was born in Palo Alto, and her father owned the first livery stable in town; the Stanford Marguerite buses are named after his favorite horse. In 1938 she joined the Palo Alto Auxiliary to the Stanford Convalescent Home, the forerunner of Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. She volunteered at Allied Arts, led a Girl Scout troop and tutored in Palo Alto and Ravenswood schools. During WWII, when her husband served as a military governor in North Africa and Europe, she volunteered for the Red Cross, planted a victory garden and raised chickens in her backyard. In her later years, she became interested in peace and social justice and never missed voting in an election until she turned 101. She was an avid walker, traveler, opera fan, bridge player, seamstress and cook. She was predeceased by her husband, Claude, '23, JD '26; her son, Claude Jr., '53, MS '54; her sisters, Helen Paulsen Woolley, '23, Catherine Paulsen, '25, and Jane Paulsen Wiley, '39; and her brother, Jasper Paulsen, '20. Survivors: her daughters, Susan Erving, '60, MA '62, Paula Berka, '52, and Sally Brice; four grandchildren, including Christopher Berka, '76; and 10 great-grandchildren, including Caitlin Berka, '08, and Haley Berka, '10.
Marshall Barron Clinard, '32, MA '34 (social science/social thought), of Santa Fe, N.M., May 30, at 98, of a heart attack. After earning his doctorate in sociology from the U. of Chicago in 1941, he worked as chief criminal statistician for the U.S. Census Bureau and in the enforcement department of the Office of Price Administration. He taught at the U. of Iowa, Vanderbilt U. and for 34 years at the U. of Wisconsin-Madison. He spent a year in Sweden as a Fulbright Research Professor studying prisons and three years in India working for the Ford Foundation on urban community development. His textbook, Sociology of Deviant Behavior, is in its 14th edition, and his book Corporate Crime was republished in 2005. He received numerous teaching awards and served as the president of the Society of Social Problems. He loved nature, hiking, photography and his family. He was predeceased by his first wife, Ruth, and his son Lawrence. Survivors: his second wife, Arlen Westbrook; his children, Marsha and Stephen; four grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Robert Fay "Bob" Rockwell Jr., '33 (social science/social thought), of Corning, N.Y., April 17, 2009, at 97. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he served in Africa with the Navy during World War II. Founder of the Rockwell Museum in Corning, where he lived since 1933, he owned and operated The Rockwell Co. and the Carder Steuben Glass Shop until his retirement in 2005. He served as president of the Corning Rotary Club and the Corning Chamber of Commerce. He was a member of the National Cowboy Hall of Fame, the Buffalo Bill Historical Society and the Horse Vigilante Society. He received many awards and honors, including the Spencer Crest Nature Center Conservator Award, the Humanitarian Award from the American Red Cross and Bob Scriver's Award for outstanding contribution to western art. He was predeceased by his wife of 62 years, Hertha, and his brother, Wilson, '33. Survivors: his children, Sandra Herron and Robert III; two granddaughters; and one great-granddaughter.
Betty Ann Hinsdale Dwyer Mahieu, '37 (political science), of Pebble Beach, Calif., May 26, at 95. She served as president of the Junior League of San Francisco, the Children's Theater of San Francisco and the San Francisco Visiting Nurses Association. She was the first woman to serve on the board of directors of the United Bay Area Crusade. A dedicated museum volunteer, she served as chair of the Volunteer Council at the De Young Museum and as a docent at the Asian Art Museum, both in San Francisco. She traveled extensively and spent 15 years working as a senior travel coordinator for Bryant International Travel. Survivors: her husband, Ted; her daughters, Maureen Dwyer and Sally Dwyer Slichter; three grandchildren; and one great-granddaughter.
Charles Kenney Walker, '37 (chemistry), of Medford, Ore., June 22, at 95. A member of the Los Arcos eating club at Stanford, he earned an MS in chemical engineering from MIT in 1940. He spent most of his career as an engineer for Fluor Corp., retiring in 1981, and authored several articles on thermodynamics. His wife, Margaret, died in 2000. Survivors: his daughters, Carroll Hirsch, Ruth Rose, Katherine Parker and Nancy Walker; eight grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.
Henry L. Cuniberti, '38 (biological sciences), of San Francisco, June 21, at 93, of heart failure. A first-generation American, he was born in his parents' apartment above their market on Haight Street. He worked his way through Stanford, where he was a member of Kappa Alpha and the diving team, by picking oranges, waiting on tables at sorority houses and slaughtering sheep. After graduating from Creighton Medical School in 1942, he worked as a physician for one year before being called to active duty in WWII. He served as a medic and medical officer, and his unit, The Acorn Fourteen, was awarded the Navy Unit Commendation Ribbon. After leaving the Navy in 1946, he established a medical practice in San Francisco, retiring at age 59. His leisure hours were spent traveling with his wife, watching the 49ers or playing golf at the Olympic Club. Survivors: his wife of 69 years, Vivian; his daughters, Suzanne Rittenhouse, '65, and Betty; five grandchildren, including Kelly Rittenhouse, '98; and five great-grandchildren.
Walter Joseph Meyer, '39 (economics), of Burlingame, June 8, at 93, of complications from a stroke. A member of Delta Tau Delta, he enlisted with the Marine Corps after graduation and was chosen for its Pensacola Flight School. As a commissioned officer, he flew F4F Wildcats in the Solomons and combat missions from the island of Funafuti in Tuvalu. He led numerous combat flight missions over the Palau and Yap Islands, earning him the Distinguished Flying Cross. After the war ended, he joined United Airlines and worked briefly for Alaska Airlines. He was predeceased by his wife, Helena, and his sister, Frances Edwards, '36. Survivors: his children, Michelle Kleid and Michael; three grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Charles B. Newton, '39 (basic medical sciences), MD '44, of Los Altos, May 27, at 93, of a stroke and pneumonia. He served in the Pacific during World War II and in Korea as a Marine and naval medical officer. During his 20-year naval career, he served as chief of medicine at a number of U.S. Naval Air Stations. After retiring from the Navy with the rank of captain, he devoted 22 years to his career as a physician in internal medicine with the Permanente Medical Group at Kaiser Foundation Hospital in Redwood City. An avid Cardinal football fan, he received a 15-year service pin from Stanford Associates in 1993. He loved nature, gardening, travel and studying languages. Survivors: his wife of 25 years, Joyce; his children, Bruce, Mark, Karin and Janelle; his stepdaughters, Susan Loe-Roberts and Barbara Loe; and two grandsons.
1940s
Constance Janet Scott McLenegan, '41, of Greenbrae, Calif., June 20. A graduate of Piedmont High School, she attended Stanford and graduated from UC-Berkeley. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta. A dedicated volunteer, she served on the boards of the Junior League of San Francisco, SF Symphony Forum, International Hospitality Center, the Marin Charitable Association and many others, and she served as president of the Marin Garden Club and the Tamalpais Resident's Council. She was a founding partner of Stitchbirds needlepoint shop in Marin County. Her husband of 53 years, Alan, predeceased her. Survivors: her daughter, Kate Nyland; her son, Alan Jr.; two grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and one sister.
Hugh O'Donnell, '41 (economics), of Menlo Park, July 24, at 89. A member of Theta Xi, he participated in two Japanese-American Student Conferences held in both countries before World War II. He enlisted in the Navy and received an officer's commission to serve in combat as an ensign and later a lieutenant in the Southwest Pacific. After the war, he moved to Paris to attend the Sorbonne on the GI Bill. He spent the next five years traveling the world: He crossed the Atlantic by freighter, the Syrian Desert by bus, India by train and Brazil by the Amazon. He played for a Chilean basketball team, lived in a Hindu ashram, spent several hours in a jail in Zaire and met Josephine Baker for a drink at a Paris bistro. Back in the United States, he trained as a foreign exchange trader and worked with Aramco, the Bank of California and Crocker Bank, where he spent the majority of his career in international banking. In retirement, he served as director of development for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Peninsula. He also gave his time to the Knights of Malta, the San Carlos Adult Day Care Center, the Sierra Club of Palo Alto-Menlo Park and many other organizations. He was a gifted athlete, spoke several languages and had an optimistic nature. Survivors: his wife of 54 years, Anne; his sons, Michael and Peter; and four grandchildren.
Helen Ann Witter, '41 (Spanish), of San Francisco, May 29, at 91. She was a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma. She was an avid amateur birder and botanist and an intrepid world traveler, having visited all seven continents, most of them numerous times. For 25 years, she managed her family's cattle ranch and continued to ride horses well into her 80s. The ultimate organizer and volunteer, she was a member of the Junior League of San Francisco, the Society of California Pioneers and the Colonial Dames and served on the boards of many institutions including the California Academy of Sciences, the National Audubon Society and St. Luke's Hospital. She was active in the recent building campaigns for the Asian Art Museum and the San Francisco Public Library and helped found University High School. She was married for 30 years to the late Edmond Gillette Jr., '38, and long after their divorce she decided to take back her maiden name at age 81. Survivors: her daughters, Deanne, Cody and Cherie; four grandchildren; and two great-grandchildren.
Elliott King Snedecor, '42 (law), of Newport, Ore., March 28, at 88. A member of Kappa Sigma, he served in the Air Force and received an honorable discharge in 1945. He worked with Recovery Inc., 55 Alive and AARP, was a member of the Rotarians and was involved with the foreign exchange student program in Portland. He was a deacon and an elder at First Presbyterian Church in Newport. He began writing regular reminiscences for The Bee in the mid-1990s and continued writing his monthly column for the newspaper until a few years ago. Survivors: his wife, Gladys; his daughters, Carol Ann Potter and Laura Finney; his sons, Don, Robert and Philip; seven grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; and three siblings.
Richard H. Reel, '43 (general engineering), of Honolulu, May 14, at 88. He was a member and president of Beta Theta Pi. He taught engineering at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., and served as an officer aboard the destroyer Thatcher in the Pacific during World War II. Later he moved to Hinsdale, Ill., where he worked for the Anning-Johnson Co. as president and lived for 25 years. He was a lifetime supporter of the Stanford Fund and the Buck Club and was a member of Stanford Associates. Survivors: his wife, Margaret; his children, Richard Jr., '68, Joan Farrell, '70, and Susan Hutto; four grandchildren; and his sister, Nancy Hamilton, '44.
James Kingdon Crosby, '44 (economics), of Tarzana, Calif., October 9, 2009, at 87, of complications from chemotherapy and radiation for cancer. Born at Fort Bragg, he grew up in Idaho, Minnesota and Hawaii. At Stanford, he was a member of Delta Upsilon and ROTC. He served as a field lieutenant in France and in occupied Germany. After the war, he established Industrial Screw Products in West Los Angeles, manufacturing precision lathed custom metal parts for aeronautical and other industries throughout California for nearly 50 years. He won awards for his landscape and wildlife photography, recognition for his prized cymbidiums and the hearts of his many friends. Survivors: his wife, Joan; his children, Robert, Taylor, '71, Kathy Herbert and Elizabeth McKiernan; 11 grandchildren, including Benjamin Crosby, '06; and two great-grandchildren.
Alan Taylor Margot II, '44 (general engineering), of Palm Desert, Calif., July 7, at 87, following a brief battle with cancer. He was interested in electronics from a young age and got his amateur radio license in 1932 when he was 9 years old, making him the youngest Ham operator in the world at that time. At Stanford he was a member of Alpha Delta Phi and the tennis team. After graduating, he was appointed an ensign in the Naval Reserve and was assigned to the Naval Research Lab in Washington, D.C. He was discharged in 1946, got married in 1948 and moved to Porterville, Calif., near where his parents had inherited a 200-acre orange grove. He started a communications engineering company and installed the radio system for the Porterville Police and Fire Department and for the Lindmore and Lower Tule Irrigation Districts. After selling his company in 1969, he and his wife built the Linda Vista Swim and Racket Club, which they owned and operated for 17 years. They moved to Palm Desert in 1997 so Alan could play tennis year round. He served on the Northern California Tennis Association board for 12 years and was chair of the Northern California Junior Tennis Committee. His daughter, Jeannette, '74, died in a plane crash in 1975. Survivors include his wife of 62 years, Norma; his children, Alan III, '73, Norma Lea, ’77, and Scott; and two grandchildren, including Brittany, '13.
Rosamond "Roz" Carpenter Zars Garcia, '46 (English), of Hayden, Colo., October 14, 2009, at 85. She received her master's degree in history from the U. of Denver and completed doctoral coursework focused on water development in the Middle East. She taught history at Denver U., Colorado Mountain College and numerous high schools. A tireless campaigner for John F. Kennedy, she took her civic responsibilities seriously. Having grown up on her family's ranch in Colorado's Yampa Valley, she was an early environmentalist and worked for better strip-mine reclamation and fought indiscriminate predator hunting. The Carpenter Ranch was conveyed to the Nature Conservancy in 1996, and she lived in a small house she built overlooking the ranch. Survivors: her children, Belle, Reed and Hugh Zars; eight grandchildren; and one brother.
Ethel Sturges Mintzer Lichtman, '47 (psychology), MA '72 (education), of Poway, Calif., June 6, at 84. She was a member of Delta Delta Delta. She married Morton Lichtman, a Marine aviator in World War II, and they raised a family in Palo Alto. After earning her master's degree, she served as a consultant with the State Department of Education. She founded both the Action Center for Citizens in Education and the Forum for Education. She served as the California representative to the National Committee for Support of Public Schools and as a member of the National Commission of Educational Governance. In 1978 she moved to San Diego, where she served as the assistant development director at Children's Hospital and Health Center and director of volunteer services and director of development for the San Diego office of Children's Home Society of California. Her book about the Francis Parker School in San Diego, founded by her great aunt and uncle, was published in 1985. Survivors: her children, Ann Friedrich, Brad and Grant, '80, MS '80; six grandchildren, including Cassidy Lichtman, '11, MA '11; and her sister, Mary "Polly" Mintzer Vaughan, '51.
Muriel Hall Witters Holcomb, '48 (psychology), of San Diego, June 5, at 84, of cancer. Muriel began her teaching career in Carmel, Calif., then moved to Boulder, Colo., where she taught first grade for 35 years. She retired from teaching and eventually relocated to San Diego, where she enjoyed a wonderful life for 12 years at the Pacific Regent Retirement Community. Survivors include her niece.
Dee W. McKenzie, '49 (civil engineering), of Citrus Heights, Calif., May 3, at 89. He flew B-24s in the 8th Air Force in England during WWII, earning the Distinguished Flying Cross and five Air Medals. He also served in the Northeast Air Command in Newfoundland, Canada, during the Korean War. As a civil engineer, he worked for the city of Sacramento, the State Division of Highways (now Caltrans) and Sacramento County, from which he retired as director of public works in 1986. He served on California's Scenic Highway Committee and spent 12 years on the board of directors of the Sacramento Credit Union. Among his numerous honors and awards, he received the 1963 Engineer of the Year from the Engineering Council of the Sacramento Valley. Survivors: his wife of 66 years, Ruth Mary; his sons, Robert, Gary, Aaron and David; and three grandchildren.
John Adair "Jack" Tobin, '49 (anthropology), of Honolulu, June 18, at 90. He was a member of Theta Chi and the crew team. He served in the Navy during World War II, was present during the attack on Pearl Harbor and was awarded a Bronze Star for valor. He spent most of his career working for the State Department in the Marshall Islands, Trust Territory. He was an authority on Marshallese history, culture and customs and published several books. Survivors: his brother, Don, '52, MBA '54.
1950s
Barbara Jean Aronson Goldenberg, '50 (political science), of Los Angeles, July 7, at 81. Her passion for gardening led to a career as a landscape designer and contractor. She was a member of the director's council for the Fowler Museum, volunteered for the Ethnic Arts Council and the UCLA Mildred Mathias Botanical Garden, was a founder of Brentwood Green and served on the Urban Forestry Council. A true environmentalist, she was the first on her block to drive a Prius, and she was an adventurer who enjoyed white-water rafting and sky diving (at age 70). As a lifelong Democrat, she traveled to Arizona in 2008, when she was 80, to register voters. She was predeceased by her husband, Joe, and her son, William, '80. Survivors: her daughter, Amy; one grandson; and her loyal companion, Ruth.
Dale H. Mansfield, '50 (economics), of Bremerton, Wash., June 17, at 92. He served in the Army during World War II in Rhineland, northern France, Ardennes and Central Europe. He also served in Korea in the Counter Intelligence Corps. His career began as a revenue agent with the IRS and then he worked as a medical clinic administrator, first in Salem, Ore., and then in Vancouver, Wash. In 1968 he moved to Bremerton to head the Schutt Clinic and finished his medical administration career in Colville, Wash., retiring in 1979. He enjoyed gardening, woodworking, writing, reading and his children and grandchildren. He also enjoyed flying, having received his pilot's license in 1947. He was predeceased by his wife, Betty, four brothers and one sister. Survivors: his daughters, Jan Howard and Cynthia Schnell; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and his special friend Charlyne Bottema.
Adelaide Virginia Smither Barth Miller, '50 (economics), of Tuxedo Park, N.Y., May 9. She held several positions in marketing and public relations with Lord & Taylor, National Selected Products and the Borden Co. in New York. An active volunteer, she served as chair of a residential housing project managed by the Young Women's Christian Association of New York City, and she was a director of both the New York City and national YWCA. She was a member and vice president of the Junior League of New York City and president of the Tuxedo Park Garden Club. She was an active parishioner of St. Mary's-in-Tuxedo Episcopal Church, having been the chair of the St. Mary's Guild. She was predeceased by her husband of 48 years, Norman, '50.
Sylvia Margaret Weiss Bancroft, '52, MA '56 (psychology), of Menlo Park, May 8, at 93. She was the principal founding member, director and board member of the Humane Education Network in Menlo Park, whose mission is to promote the ethical treatment of animals. Working tirelessly to educate the public on issues related to animal abuse, she was the driving force behind the Animal Protection Information Service, a resource for animal welfare advocates working to influence legislation to ensure the human treatment of animals. Survivors include her husband, Charlie, '45.
Caesar E. Farah, '52 (history), of Edina, Minn., November 26, 2009, at 80. After receiving his MA and PhD from Princeton, he took a position as a cultural affairs officer in New Delhi and later in Karachi, Pakistan. In 1959 he returned to the United States and became assistant to the chief of the Bureau of Cultural Affairs in Washington, D.C. Drawn to teaching and research, he took a job as assistant professor of history and Semitic language at Portland State U., where he taught until 1963. He then taught Near Eastern studies in Bloomington, Ind., for five years before joining the faculty at the U. of Minnesota as professor of Middle Eastern and Islamic history. Over the course of his career, which lasted until his retirement in 2008, he served as a visiting professor at universities around the world from Yemen to Germany, Syria and Lebanon. He was the author of more than 12 books and numerous scholarly articles. Survivors: his wife, Irmgard; his children, Elisabeth, Ronald, Ramsey, Christopher, Laurence, Raymond and Alexandra; 12 grandchildren; six great-grandchildren; and his brother.
Jean Elizabeth Denham McJannet, '53 (French), of Bakersfield, Calif., July 2, at 78, of heart failure. She spent many years working as a public health nurse and devoted herself to a number of volunteer activities in her retirement, including AIDS groups and the Buena Vista Natural History Museum. Survivors: her husband, George; her children, Lynne Myers, Elizabeth, Robert and James; and her sister, Mary Denham Schouweiler, '49.
Morgan Williams Sanborn, '53 (general engineering), of San Antonio, June 21, at 78, of Parkinson's disease. A member of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, El Cuadro and the crew team, he served as an officer in the Air Force, retiring as a colonel in 1978. During this time he worked closely with aerospace companies on projects relating to missile defense and manned moon missions, and he was a staunch proponent of the space shuttle. He also flew as a fighter pilot and later as a forward air controller (FAC) in Vietnam. His civilian career from 1979 to 1989 was as a project manager for Rockwell International's space shuttle orbiter division in Downey, Calif. After retiring from the aerospace industry, he found a new calling with his third wife in smoky bars and biker joints all over California doing karaoke to Johnny Cash songs. He was predeceased by his wife of 14 years, Libby. Survivors: his first wife, Vera; his second wife, Mickey; his sons, David, Lewis and Bryan; and five grandchildren.
Peter Larry Cosovich, '54 (political science), of San Francisco, May 24, at 77. After serving for two years with the Army in Germany, he returned to San Francisco to begin a career in the airline business. In 1960 he joined Pan American World Airways, where he worked for 26 years. He then joined United Airlines, where he stayed until his retirement in 1998. He loved skiing, hiking, the arts and traveling with his beloved companion of more than 40 years, Mary Franck. He was predeceased by his brothers, Jon, '57, and Alan. In addition to his companion, Mary, his survivors include two nephews, including J. Charles, '86; one niece; and their children.
Kenneth William Hirsch, '54 (speech & drama), MA '65 (communication), of Napa, Calif., June 16, at 78. As a student, he lived in the Firehouse, belonged to El Tigre and was a staff member of the Chaparral. He was also on the gymnastics and swim teams. He earned a PhD from the U. of Oregon and worked as a professor of communication studies at CSU-Sacramento, where his research focused on the effects on children of violence in the media and effective communication in HIV prevention programs. After retiring and moving to Napa, he served on the county's Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Commission and HIV prevention community planning working group. He was an avid small-craft pilot, skier, scuba diver and photographer. Survivors include his wife of 46 years, Nora.
Peter Jansen Miller, '57 (mechanical engineering), of Phoenix, May 30, at 74, of pulmonary fibrosis. He worked as an aerospace engineer for General Dynamics for 12 years on the Atlas Missile program. He then earned an MBA and a PhD and joined the faculty at Arizona State U., where he taught in the business school for 12 years. From there he started his own company, Software Systems Development Corp., which he ran with his wife for another 12 years. He was active in his sons' Boy Scout troops and was a devoted member of his church. He loved designing and building, and his projects included additions to his homes, constructing a cabin in northern Arizona and restoring an historic barn. He was a regular tennis player, went tubing at least once a year and played the saxophone, accordion and harmonica. His son Michael died in 1992. Survivors: his wife of 51 years, Helen (Nason, '58); his children, Thomas, Daniel and Kathryn; six grandchildren; and two siblings.
Jon Alexander "Jack" Douglas, '58 (history), of Los Angeles, July 27, at 73. A star athlete in high school, he was an all-CIF quarterback and also played tennis and basketball. He represented the United States three times in Davis Cup competitions. At Stanford, where he was a member of Zeta Psi, he was a two-time tennis All-American and a quarterback on the football team. After college, he served three years in the Marine Corps before launching his career in real estate. In 1971 he co-founded Douglas Emmett and began developing apartment houses in Southern California. Profits were initially slow, so he started Jon Douglas Co., a residential real estate brokerage, on the side. By 1997, Jon Douglas Co., which merged with Prudential in 1995, had nearly 70 offices and was purchased by Coldwell Banker. Survivors: his sons, Brad, James, Jon Jr. and Mark; and six grandchildren.
1960s
James William "Jim" Korth, '60 (political science), of Eugene, Ore., June 17, at 71, of complications of diabetes. He was a member of Kappa Sigma and the track and field team. He held a law degree from Willamette U. and served in the U.S. Air National Guard from 1962 to 1968. He worked as an attorney for 42 years until retiring in 2009 and managed North Douglas Wood Products. Survivors: his wife, Linda; his children, Steve, Kim Williams and Kelly Thakkar; 10 grandchildren; his mother; and a brother.
George Chmyz, '61 (mechanical engineering), of Palo Alto, June 5, at 72, following back surgery. A member of Theta Xi, he was hired as a mechanical engineer at Varian and retired as an engineering manager. An avid sports fan, he especially loved soccer, and he devoted more than 30 years to being an AYSO coach, a teammate in the adult league and reliable pick-up player. In retirement he became a referee. Survivors: his wife, Margene; his children, Lisa, Andrew and Peter; and seven grandchildren.
Steven Arthur Duwe, '61 (biological sciences), of Palo Alto, May 15, at 70, of a brain tumor. A member of Alpha Tau Omega, he graduated from UCSF medical school, completed his general surgical training at Stanford and practiced at the Sunnyvale Medical Clinic/Camino Medical Group, El Camino Hospital and Stanford Hospital. An avid fly fisherman his entire life, he spent each summer of his retirement roaming the West with his camper in search of good fishing. He was also a skier and cyclist and a passionate student of physics and mathematics. Survivors: his wife, Vicki; his former wife, Ann (von Haden, '63); his son, Colin; one granddaughter; his sister and brother.
Joel Sayre Meister, '62 (political science), of Tucson, Ariz., July 6, at 69, of cancer. As a Peace Corps volunteer in Peru in the mid-1960s, he befriended a Peruvian teenager named Alejandro Toledo and helped him come to the United States to complete his education. Toledo went on to become the first indigenous president of Peru. Joel earned a PhD from UC-Berkeley and enjoyed a distinguished teaching career that brought him to UC-Berkeley, Hampshire College, Amherst College and the U. of Arizona. He served as an associate at the Hastings Center for Bioethics and as co-director of both the Southwest Center for Community Health Promotion at the U. of Arizona and the Arizona Cancer Center's Cancer Prevention and Control Program. He was one of the founders of the U. of Arizona College of Public Health and taught there prior to his retirement in 2008. He was respected for his commitment to U.S.-Mexico border health and social justice issues and for his leadership in the community health worker movement. Among his honors were the U. of Arizona's Henry Koffler Prize, the College of Public Health Service Award and the Family Planning Council Award. Survivors: his spouse, William Mason; his children, Rachel Collier, Matt and Adam; six grandchildren; his former wife, Nancy Meister Book; and one sister.
Per Johan Thingstad, '62, MS '68 (mechanical engineering), of Haslum, Norway, July 9, at 75, of a stroke. He worked at SLAC from 1963 to 1970 before relocating to Norway. Survivors: his wife, Nancy; his children, Kristin Chen and John; and two grandchildren.
John R. Harris IV, '67 (biological sciences), MD '72, of Albuquerque, N.M., June 17, at 65. He maintained a psychiatric practice in Albuquerque and was an attorney licensed to practice in New Mexico. Survivors: his wife, Terry Greisch-Harris; his mother; his stepmother; and three sisters.
1970s
Robert Dudley Pike, '75 (philosophy), of Riverhead, N.Y., May 9, at 57, of colon cancer. At Stanford, he was a member of the Band and Kappa Alpha. He worked as an attorney who successfully fought against developing Robins Island in Long Island's Peconic Bay and led efforts to preserve open space on the East End. Representing the Save Robins Island Committee, he wrote letters, lobbied lawmakers and participated in community forums to block developers from building houses on the island's 435 acres. His efforts paid off in 1993 when a wealthy businessman bought the island and turned it into a private wildlife preserve overseen by the Nature Conservancy. He served one term on the Riverhead Town Board in the late 1980s and advocated limiting the number of homes that could be built on farmland sold to developers. Nicknamed "Joy Boy" as a child, he was known for his adventurous spirit, imagination and high ideals. Survivors: his wife, Carol; his children, Julia McGann and Otis III; his father, Otis; his brother; and one sister.
David John Ashkenas, '78, MS '79 (electrical engineering), of Berkeley, July 21, at 54, nine years after being diagnosed with head and neck cancer. He worked for a number of different hardware and software companies, including Hewlett-Packard, ELXSI, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Informix and IBM. He brought his unique set of wide-ranging talents to each of his positions and earned the respect of his co-workers for his quirky sense of humor, creativity and painstaking thoroughness. David leaves behind a diverse group of family and friends in the sailing community, creative woodworkers and crossword puzzle fanatics who loved him for his kindness, gentleness, thoughtfulness and loyalty.
Business
Kent Nashland Garvens, MBA '63, of Lafayette, Calif., June 3, at 73, after suffering a stroke. He graduated from Purdue U. in 1959 and served in the Navy as a boiler room officer on the USS Ranger before attending business school. He then joined the family business, Electro-Coatings, where he spent his career. He loved to take walks and started keeping a walking log many years ago, thinking he could clock enough miles to match the circumference of the globe. By last June, he had completed the 24,900 miles, and his whole family walked together as he achieved his goal. Survivors: his wife, Judy (Erickson, '62); his children, Kathryn deBruynKops and Jeff; six grandchildren; and one brother.
Earth Sciences
Antonio Nieto Antunez, MS '70 (applied earth sciences), of Guanajuato, Mexico, June 12, at 66, of cardiac arrest. He was head of the Guanajuato School of Mines in Mexico for more than 20 years. He was known for his love of life, family, science and mining engineering education. Survivors: his wife, Carmen Vega Zepeda; his sons, Antonio and German; his daughter, Carmen; and eight grandchildren.
Education
Robert Louis "Bob" Callahan, MA '58, EdD '62, of Walnut Creek, Calif., July 2, at 90. After serving in the Navy during World War II, he began his life's work as an educator, first as a Spanish teacher at Mountain View High School and then as a principal at Washington High School in Fremont, Calif. During his 20-year tenure at Washington, the school was recognized for its well-rounded excellence in academics, the arts and athletics. During school breaks, on weekends and in retirement, he loved to ski in the Sierra, backpack in Desolation Wilderness and swim in Lake Tahoe. Monthlong family camping trips were legendary, and once the children were grown, he and his wife traveled throughout Europe, Mexico and China. Survivors: his wife, Trini; his children, Connie, '72, Mia, '74, and Tim; and seven grandchildren.
Glenn Edward Michelson, MA '65, of Redwood City, June 19, at 67. After receiving his BA from Northwestern and his master's from Stanford, he taught mathematics and German at Sequoia High School in Redwood City from 1965 to 2000. He was Sequoia District Teacher of the Year for 1985-86 and the San Mateo County Teacher of the Year for 1986. As a 13th-generation descendant of the pilgrim William Brewster, he was a member of the Society of Mayflower Descendants. He was a founding member of the San Mateo County Genealogical Society and served on the board of directors of the archives committee of the Redwood City Public Library. He also served on the Bay Area Admissions Council for Northwestern and on the STEP Program advisory board for Stanford. An avid traveler, he visited 48 U.S. states and 75 foreign countries. Survivors include nine cousins and many friends.
Engineering
Milton Harold Bank II, Engr. '67 (aeronautics and astronautics), of Pebble Beach, Calif., May 25, at 74, of heart failure while undergoing treatment for cancer. He grew up in Michigan and graduated 12th in his class at the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, Md. As a midshipman, he was a member of the Navy's 1856-57 NCAA Championship fencing team. He flew aboard four aircraft carriers as a naval aviator, including a combat tour flying missions over Vietnam, until diabetes forced him to retire from active duty in 1968. He received four Air Medals and the Navy Commendation Medal with combat "V." He joined the faculty of the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, Calif., in 1971, where he taught in the aeronautics department and then the School of Aviation Safety. After retiring in 2005, he worked at the Center for Interdisciplinary Remotely-Piloted Aircraft Studies at NPS. Certified as a Prévot d'Armes (instructor) in fencing, he coached at Monterey Peninsula College for more than 35 years and co-founded the Monterey Peninsula Fencing Club. Survivors: his wife of 52 years, Linda; his sons, Baynes and Milton III; six grandchildren; two brothers; and one sister.
Chris G. Chan, MS '09 (civil and environmental engineering), of Stanford, July 9, at 31, after a fall while rock climbing in Yosemite National Park. An experienced climber, she had scaled Yosemite's El Capitan several times and taught rock climbing as part of the Stanford Alpine Club, where she served as co-president in 2008, and Stanford's Outdoor Education Program. She received her undergraduate degree from Harvard in biochemical sciences and was working toward her PhD in political science at Stanford. Before coming to Stanford, she attended the Graduate School of International Relations and Pacific Studies at UC-San Diego. Her academic interests included environmental policy and Chinese politics. After spending the 2009-10 academic year in China learning the language, she was preparing to return to begin research for her dissertation on the politics surrounding the adoption of environmental technologies in China. Survivors include her parents, Cecil and Susie Chan, and her brother, Peter.
Barry Wei-Pang Chai, MS '11 (computer science), of Stanford, June 8, at 25, in a car accident. An international student from Canada, he completed his undergraduate work at the U. of British Columbia before coming to Stanford, where he had finished his first year in the master's program. He is remembered for being bright, happy, optimistic, humble and always willing to lend a helping hand. Survivors include his parents.
Humanities and Sciences
John Sain Helmick, PhD '48 (psychology), of Hilton Head Island, S.C., February 8, 2009. He earned a BS from Northwestern and an MS from Wesleyan U., both in psychology. He served in the Air Force Aviation Psychology Program during WWII and taught at UCLA and the U. of Hawaii before joining Educational Testing Service in Princeton, N.J. He enjoyed a long and productive career at ETS and held positions such as vice president for international activities and director of the company's Western offices in Berkeley and Los Angeles. He was a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science and was past president of the International Council of Psychologists. Survivors include his second wife, Scarvia, and his sons, Robert and Mark.
Allyn M. Ferguson Jr., Gr.'57 (music), of Westlake Village, Calif., June 23, at 85. He was a composer, arranger and conductor who co-wrote the themes for the TV series Charlie's Angels and Barney Miller. He also scored many television adaptations of literary classics such as A Tale of Two Cities, The Count of Monte Cristo and Camille, for which he won an Emmy Award. He received five other Emmy nominations for music composition in the 1980s and served as conductor and musical co-director for the Academy Awards, the Grammys and the Emmy Award telecasts. He started trumpet lessons when he was 4 and went on to study with Nadia Boulanger in Paris and with Aaron Copland at Tanglewood in Massachusetts. At Stanford, he formed the Chamber Jazz Sextet, which performed in the Bay Area and recorded three albums. He arranged for Sarah Vaughan, Buddy Rich and Andy Williams and served as musical director for other artists including Johnny Mathis and Julie Andrews. Survivors: his wife, Joline; three children; six grandchildren; and one sister.
Frank Charles Shuffelton, MA '68, PhD '72 (English), of Rochester, N.Y., March 4, at 69, of cancer. After graduating from Harvard in 1962, he served in the Coast Guard. Following his graduate studies, he taught in the English department at the U. of Rochester, where he served as department chair, director of freshman English, director of graduate studies and director of college writing. His scholarly work focused on American literature from the 16th to the 19th century—especially Thomas Jefferson, who was the subject of Thomas Jefferson: A Comprehensive Annotated Bibliography of Writings about Him. He was honored with the lifetime achievement award from the early American literature division of the Modern Language Association. He enjoyed spending summers at Silver Lake in New Hampshire with his family. Survivors: his wife, Jane; his children, Amy and George; five grandchildren; and one brother.
